To Live and Learn
by nycorrall
Summary: Lancer's routine life is turned upside down the the day a snowy-haired, green-eyed ghost falls from the sky. The teacher faces unknown enemies and danger all while learning that there's more to this ghost than meets the eye. Questions arise: Who is the enemy? How can this ghost be so human? And why does she look eerily identical to Danny Phantom? Sequel to Like Father, Like Son.
1. Happenstance

1. Happenstance

Dark clouds that occasionally flickered with light rolled across the sky, rapidly consuming the sunlight.

Darkness spread over Amity Park; thunder rumbled loudly.

Despite the dark weather, teenagers chattered animatedly, laughing jovially as they poured out of the school.

They always seemed to be buzzing with energy.

Soon the school would be desolate, and the children would likely remain indoors, watching movies or playing video games while the rain poured outside.

Lancer heaved a weary sigh as he tossed his bag into the car. It landed carelessly on the passenger seat.

The dark blue 1990 Volvo sank under his weight. He turned the key, but something was wrong with the ignition, so it took three more tries before the old car sputtered to life.

Lancer had to hurry. His car didn't fare well in bad weather, and he didn't want to be caught in the storm and stranded on the side of the road again.

Summer was only two weeks away. He hadn't been keeping track of the money he'd put in his savings, but he was certain there was more than enough to buy a new car.

No vacation this year. He had already signed up for summer classes, even though the principal had already assured him that it wasn't necessary.

Lancer was long overdue for a vacation.

The teacher eased his car out of the parking lot and immediately hit the road.

It was a twenty-minute drive to his house, but, if he sped, then he could make it in fifteen, maybe ten minutes. He had rarely seen a cop on the road that led to his house, but one could never be too sure, so he kept to the regular speed.

He had nothing else planned for the day, so he could anticipate curling up by the fireplace and re-reading _Farenheit 451_ or _Heart of Darkness_.

Water pellets began to crash against his car's windshield and Lancer sighed. 'Well,' he thought, 'maybe now I won't have to get that much needed carwash.'

His stomach rumbled loudly, earning a grimace from Lancer.

He decided to pull into Dina's Diner, a small restaurant near his home.

He parked his car and ran out into the rain, which had already gone from a light drizzle to a heavy shower.

He released an exasperated groan when he read the sign on the door.

'Sorry, we're closed!'

"Of coure," Lancer muttered angrily. "Just my luck. I forget my lunch, I forget my umbrella, spill coffee on my shirt, and now this."

The man stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for a moment before deciding to head back to his car.

Across the street, stood a gasoline store, but Lancer wasn't in the mood for chips and soda; however, there was a convenience store just down the road, and they would certainly have some of those 5-minute microwaveable dinners there.

He was thinking pasta. "Yes," he muttered to himself, "some pasta would be nice."

The thought made him quicken his pace and rush to his old car. When he finally managed to haul open the creaky door, a loud 'boom' made him drop the keys on the ground in surprise.

That did not sound like thunder, Lancer knew, so what was that noise?

Another boom and a bright flash of violet light somewhere in the near distance.

Lancer instinctively ducked his head, just as a white and black blur shot past him.

Thunder rumbled, and the rain fell heavier.

It was getting harder to discern any sounds above the loud storm.

Lancer breathed. After a few moments of silence, Lancer peeked out from behind the car.

There, lying just on the side of the road was a body.

Black and white suit, silver hair, unearthly green glow.

"Danny Phantom," Lancer breathed.

He glanced around the vicinity, but there was no one else in sight. "Of course, only I would be standing outside in the pouring rain, all by myself, a few feet away from a powerful ghost."

Lancer peered into his car, debating over whether or not he should leave behind the ghostly teen hero or offer some help.

Lancer rolled his eyes at himself.

'Danny Phantom's a ghost. He can't get hurt. I can't fight. I'm a mere human. What kind of help could I possibly have to offer?'

But Lancer forced himself to look back up at the figure that had fallen from the sky. There was no movement from him whatsoever.

Concern immediately gripped him, and the old teacher quickly made up his mind.

He scurried across the road, pausing only to briefly check for oncoming cars.

There were none.

He fell to his knees beside the body, and he hesitantly poked it.

"Hello?" He shouted over the roaring rain. "Mr. Phantom? Mr. Phantom, are you okay?"

He nudged the body more forcefully and finally received a reaction.

He sucked in a breath.

Glowing green eyes wearily peered up at him through half-lidded eyes.

It seemed Lancer's assumptions were incorrect.

"You're-you're not the ghost boy!"

The young girl groaned in response. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

The child couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen years old.

And, though she was clearly not human, he noticed a nasty purple-ish bruise forming on her otherwise colorless cheek. She had a deep wound over her left brow, and her bottom lip was swollen and bloody. Her suit was torn in some areas, and blood was flowing from her ears.

Lancer looked her over, horrified by her condition.

The girl coughed violently but eventually managed to gasp out some words. "Don't—don't let 'im take me. Don't lettim."

Her weak voice squeezed at Lancer's heart. He didn't know what to do.

Call nine one one?

Take her to the hospital?

But then what would they do to her? He was certain no human doctor could help her.

And, if he did take her to a medical facility, would they lock her up in some secret government facility?

He'd read enough books to know that that could very well happen.

And who was this ghost afraid of? Another ghost? A government agent?

The sound of a man shouting in the distance reached Lancer's ears.

The girl tensed up and grabbed Lancer's shirt. Tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Nononononono," she whispered. Her eyelids seemed to be drooping. She was struggling to remain conscious. "Don't lettem get me. Don't lettem get me."

Something stirred in Lancer.

Sympathy moved him to help.

The instinct to protect reigned.

"Don't worry," Lancer muttered. "I'll help you."

He scooped the girl up in his arms, desperately hoping he wasn't further injuring her in doing so, and ran to his car.

He quickly placed her in the backseat, then picked up his keys and moved to sit behind the steering wheel.

He jammed the key into the ignition and turned it.

Mercifully, the car rumbled to life on the first try.

He stepped on the gas and sped out into the road, ignoring the speed limit signs for once in his life.

His house was several miles away from the city, located further out in the country.

It was a small, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, brick house, which he had bought at a great price. His nearest neighbor was thirty minutes away, which was perfect because he actually enjoyed the solitude.

Fortunately, there would be no nosy neighbors to wonder why he was bringing a young, glowing, ghost girl into his house.

He carried the unconscious girl into the house and placed her on the couch.

The girl was freezing and surprisingly solid to the touch.

He wasn't sure if that was normal for a ghost, so he turned on the heater and flicked on the lights.

When Lancer came back to the child, he was astounded.

Besides the silver hair, she looked extremely human. In fact, she looked like a beaten up human kid.

He shifted uncomfortably.

Lancer had never imagined being put in this situation.

Sure, he imagined that perhaps, as a teacher, he would encounter some bruised children. He imagined having to deal with rude parents, and he had dealt with children who came from dysfunctional homes, drug addicts, violent boys, impudent teens.

But having to care for a battered ghost who looked remarkably like the famous (or infamous) Amity Park superhero?

Never crossed his mind.

And, to think, someone had clearly done this to her.

What kind of sick person had the audacity to do this to a _child?_

In the midst of his musings, Lancer caught sight of something that he knew _for a fact _was not normal for ghosts.

The terrifyingly slow rise and fall of her chest.

A knew fear struck Lancer.

Could she die?

**A/N: This idea has been bouncing around in my head since before I finished writing Like Father, Like Son.**

**I'm glad to finally have this chapter posted!**

**Reviews, please?**


	2. Unstable

2. Unstable

A cruel laughter came from seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Vlad's sadistic smile emerged from the darkness. His cold, midnight blue eyes burned into her, occasionally flickering to a glowing scarlet.

A cold hand wrapped around her throat. A knife gleamed overhead, and then it rushed at her.

Danielle screamed at the top of her lungs, thrashing and kicking, even as she was thrown out of unconsciousness.

"Hey, stop! Stop!"

The frantic, unfamiliar voice yanked the girl back into reality. Her eyes snapped open, and she leapt into a sitting position.

She was in a house, which she immediately recognized as 'not Vlad's but not Danny's.'

Danielle's focused shifted to an older, balding, slightly overweight man looming over her.

Fear immediately took over and she shrank back, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"Oh, I'm sorry I startled you." He replied. His teal eyes seemed to radiate with genuine apology. "My name is Jonathon Lancer. I found you out in the middle of the road. You were hurt, and I wasn't sure what to do with you, so I just brought you here." He paused, offering her an uncertain smile. "To my humble abode."

Danielle narrowed her eyes cynically. He appeared to be a kind enough man that posed no threat to her.

Then again, she thought, experience had taught her that she was a terrible judge of character.

"So, miss, uh-" Lancer paused. "What should I call you?"

Danielle straightened up, feeling slightly less intimidated.

"Dani," she replied in a soft but audible voice. "Dani with an 'i.'"

"Interesting." Lancer muttered, with a sigh of relief. A friendly smile stretched across his face. "I suppose you must be a relative of Danny Phantom?"

Danielle said nothing, so he continued. "I, uh, I made some cinnamon tea. Would you like some?"

The girl's hesitation lasted a few minutes. Finally, she nodded slowly. Her muscles slowly relaxed. "Yes, please."

The man strode back into the kitchen and grabbed two mugs.

Meanwhile, Danielle let her gaze wander.

There were no pictures on the walls. Only three paintings: one of a valley, one of the setting sun, and one of a rose.

Danielle blinked in awe.

The paintings were simple but extremely detailed and lovelier than anything she had seen.

At a glance, anyone could have easily mistaken the portraits for photographs.

Her attention wandered to the rest of the room. There was a brown and beige loveseat across from her, near the kitchen.

There were two couches—one leaning against the wall and the one she was sitting on.

In the center of the room, there was a miniature wooden table with two remotes on it, likely one for the television and the other for stereo, which were set up in the front of the living room, beside the door.

The sound of raindrops tapping against the window came from behind her.

A peek through the curtains revealed a light storm outside; however, the day seemed to have already brightened significantly, and it wasn't pouring, as it had been earlier.

The dark clouds were already scattering away, allowing the brilliant sun to smile down at Amity Park.

The parking lot was empty except for an old, blue dilapidated car. Lush greenery surrounded the house, leading Danielle to guess that they were somewhere out of the city and in the country.

"Well, here's the tea. I brought some honey, in case you wanted to put some in it." Lancer placed a tray in front of her and set down their teas in it. Her mug was white with the words "A little bit of joy for your day" printed across it, in colorful letters.

Lancer's was a simple blue mug.

He pulled up a chair and took a seat beside her.

"I know you," she realized.

"You do?" Lancer blinked, surprised.

"You're a teacher at Casper High, right?" Danielle took a tentative sip of her drink, relieved that she wasn't staying in the house of a _complete_ stranger.

"Teacher and vice principal." Lancer confirmed. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you been to Caper High before, Miss Dani?"

Danielle shrugged, taking another sip of her tea before answering. "I've only been there once or twice, but I remember seeing you there."

"Hm," Lancer nodded, pensive. He focused on her again. "I'm assuming Dani is short for something?"

Dani nodded. "Danielle. Some people call me Ellie, but I prefer Dani."

"Right," Lancer cleared his throat. "Listen, Danielle. Would you like to explain to me what exactly happened to you?"

Danielle shifted uncomfortably. A cold feeling rose up from her core.

Relaying all the events of the last few hours—or was it days?—was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Danielle," Lacer began, softly, "I saw you fall from the sky. You were scared and shaking. You were badly wounded; although, it seems like most of your injuries are gone now."

Lancer paused. Danielle began shivering. The cold was spreading throughout the rest of her body. The temperature rapidly dropped.

"I understand why you may not want to speak with me. It's okay if you don't."

It was then a thought struck Danielle with so much force it left her stupefied.

Lancer wrinkled his nose, concerned. "Danielle? Are-are you alright? You're lips are looking a little blue."

"It's cold," she exhaled, eyes widening in realization.

"What?" Lancer queried, tilting his head to the side. "But I put the heater-"

Without warning, Danielle leapt off the couch and tossed the blanket aside. "It's cold!"

She ran past Lancer and curled her fingers around the knob.

She paused for a few seconds, noticing frost spread over the golden handle.

Before she left, she heard the educator clamor out in bewilderment. "What?!"

A warm wind hit her the moment she stepped out. The sun was shining brightly, sending its heat down to the Earth.

The ground was puddled with water left behind by the rain.

The rain had completely dissipated; it was well over eighty degrees outside.

That didn't seem to stop the icy cold from escaping Danielle's body.

Ice frosted beneath her footsteps, and the more she ran, the more ice spread across Lancer's still wet parking lot.

The last of the cold finally escaped Danielle and settled on the surrounding vegetation.

Ice crawled across trees and settled on the moist grass, giving Lancer's country home a crystalline look.

Danielle skid to a stop, struggling not to slip on the ice she had created.

A cry erupted from somewhere behind. She spun to see Lancer sliding across the frozen floor before falling facedown on the ground a few steps away from Danielle.

The sight would've normally earned a roaring laughter from Danielle, but her guilt drowned out all the humor.

"Mr. Lancer! Are you okay?"

"_Jack Frost!_" Lancer cried out, getting up on all fours. "What on earth is it with this sudden temperature change?"

Danielle bent down to help the man straighten up. "I'm sorry. That's my fault. My powers...I couldn't keep the cold in." She ran a hand through her bangs, exasperated.

Tears of frustration sprang into her eyes. She angrily wiped them, feeling pathetic for crying in front of someone she barely knew.

"My powers are totally out of control," Danielle hiccupped. "And I ruined your front lawn."

She held out her hand and helped Lancer to his feet.

He rested his hands on his knees and took a breath. "Don't worry," he replied, straightening up. "It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone with my yard."

He chuckled and pat her head. "Besides, the ice'll melt eventually."

"Actually, there's a 50-50 chance it'll melt." Danielle admitted, sheepishly. "Sometimes my ice doesn't melt unless I will it to. And I'm not sure if I can do that right now."

"What?" Lancer blinked. He wiped his forehead. "Oh, well. We can worry about that later." Teal eyes swiveled to her. "How about we go back inside?"

"I can't."

Her response surprised him. "Why not?"

"Didn't you hear me? My powers are out of control."

Lancer seemed genuinely befuddled. "So?"

"So, I could seriously hurt you! Or worse." She bit her lip.

She hadn't killed anyone yet, and she had no intention of starting now.

"You can't leave." Lancer pointed out. "Where will you go?"

"I'll go to-" she paused.

She already knew exactly where she would go. There was only one person in the whole world she trusted with all her heart.

She knew the professor was a smart man. One mistake and he'd easily uncover the truth.

"I'll think of some place to go." She replied, vaguely.

"Danielle, you cannot leave without having some sort of premeditated plan."

"I do have a prementitate plan," Danielle replied. "I'm going to Fentonworks."

"Premeditated," Lancer corrected. "And the Fentons are ghost hunters."

"So?" Danielle countered. "They're ghost hunters with a gajillion gadgets. Like I said, my powers are on the fritz. They'll probably have something that'll fix me."

"You can't trust them! They're _ghost hunters. _As in, they _hunt ghosts._"

"But they're the only ones who have the stuff to help me. I don't actually have to talk to them. Just...you know, borrow some stuff."

Lancer's jaw ticked. His eyes hardened. "Are you _actually _suggesting _theft_? No. Absolutely not."

When he spoke, it was with an authority and conviction that made Danielle hesitant to disobey.

"You can't make me," Danielle retaliated.

Lancer opened his mouth then closed it. His eyes widened, and she could see he was struggling to find a response.

But she was right, and they both knew it.

In an attempt to prove her point, the youngest hybrid turned her back to him. She took a running start then jumped.

She steadily began to ascend. Weightlessness kept her afloat and, for a moment, Danielle thought she was free of the teacher.

She had gotten as far as several feet away from Lancer when gravity returned and yanked her back to the ground.

She stumbled and rolled across the ground, earning several cuts and bruises in the process.

Her gaze landed on the sky the moment she stopped rolling.

This wasn't good.

Even if she did somehow manage to regain flight, how far would she get before falling to the ground again?

If she flew too high, there was the chance that she'd fall out of the sky and break something or worse.

If she floated close to the ground, she'd risk being seen by a human or one of Vlad's goonies.

She huffed and grit her teeth in annoyance. "Why can't my powers just work when I want them to?"

The girl pushed her elbows against the dirt and rose to her feet.

Lancer studied her quietly.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

Danielle felt her heart sink in despair. She was desperate to see Danny.

Fear had been plaguing her since she escaped Vlad's lab.

Safety had seemed like an impossible fantasy just two days ago.

Even now that she was free from the fruitloop's grasp, she _still _had a lot to travel before reaching Danny and no way of getting there, meanwhile Vlad was likely hunting for her.

Disappointment and melancholy crashed through her as the hopelessness of the situation sank in.

Her emotions must've been written across her face because Lancer gave her a sympathetic gaze.

"I'm sorry, Danielle. I truly am."

Danielle followed Lancer as he led them back to his quaint abode.

"Mr. Lancer?" Danielle began after a long moment of silence.

The teacher raised his brow questioningly.

She cleared her throat. "I'm hungry."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

**A/N: My apologies for the late update. New semester is just around the corner and I figured I should update before then.**

**Feedback is always appreciated!**


	3. Inquiries

3. Inquiries

To say Danielle was hungry was a severe understatement.

The girl raided out his refrigerator, consuming everything but the soymilk and the green peas.

Lancer didn't have very much to begin with, so he took her a nearby buffet.

It was cheap and ...

And he was severely astonished.

He had told her to help herself to whatever she wanted.

And now he was watching her ingest abnormally large quantities of food.

He'd assumed after the fifth serving of food she'd be full, but she continued shoving forkfuls of meat into her mouth.

Lancer wondered if she burned a lot of calories, but that couldn't be possible.

Ghosts didn't have calories.

He voiced his thoughts. "I thought ghosts didn't eat."

Danielle stopped eating abruptly and gave him a look that made him feel like an imbecile.

"How would _you _know?" Dani queried, shoving noodles into her mouth.

"Well," Lancer began sheepishly. "I've listened to Jack Fenton's ghost rants on more than one occasion."

She flashed him a questioning look.

"He's the parent of two of my students and also an expert on ghosts." Lancer didn't mention his uncertainty of the Fenton's expertise. "Anyways, I've also gathered a smidgen of information from personal research."

"Uh-huh," Danielle replied, rolling her eyes. "If you _must_ know ghosts don't really need to eat. Some do but never out of necessity. They don't get hungry like humans do."

"But you told me you were hungry," Lancer pointed out.

"There's always an exception to the rule."

Lancer managed to hide his frustration. He didn't like not knowing.

He wanted answers, and the girl was being very vague and providing more questions than answers.

A million questions flooded through his mind. He hoped if he kept asking, he'd eventually get some answers.

He decided to go for the question that most begged for a response.

"Do ghosts breathe?"

"No." Danielle responded immediately. "They can inhale and exhale, so they can sigh or blow out air. But it takes a lot of concentration on their part, and they absolutely do not have to breath. No ghost ever bothers to try it either. Breathing is no longer an issue the moment one becomes a member of the undead population."

"But you breath," Lancer noted. "And it's not, as you say, forced, like other ghosts. I saw you do it when you were unconscious. Which means it is _not_ a conscious action for you."

The girl froze for a millisecond then recovered so quickly Lancer almost doubted having made the observation.

She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Which means you have mortality," Lancer deduced. "Like a human."

He held his breath, waiting for a response.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." Danielle flashed him a cheeky smile and continued eating.

Lancer sighed and rubbed his temples.

He had already formed a conclusion: this ghost was very human.

He didn't know how it was possible or even if it was possible, but that what his best bet.

He'd hung around her long enough to recognize those irrefutable human qualities.

Maybe her death was so recent that, as a ghost, she hadn't completely lost her human qualities.

Or maybe she hadn't died.

Or maybe she hadn't died _completely_, like any other ghost.

Maybe her death was only a partial death.

It was possible, he figured.

And considering the information she had given him, it was probably the latter.

His gaze drifted away from her face, drawn to a familiar logo branded proudly on her chest.

A curious thought floated into Lancer's head.

"So, you're Danny Phantom's cousin."

The spoon's route came to a sudden halt just centimeters from her mouth.

The girl remained in a frozen position for several seconds.

Her immobility made Lancer uncomfortable.

"I mean, that much is evident. The resemblance is uncanny." He paused. "So you must be relatives. Probably siblings. Am I right?"

Danielle snapped out of her stupor immediately.

She slammed her fork on the table earning curious glances from the few customers present.

No one stared, much to Lancer's relief. They probably just assumed a teenage daughter was overreacting towards a parental authority.

She leaned forward and balled her hands into fists.

She ripped the sunglasses off her face, so that her glowing green glare was aimed directly at him.

"I am not talking about Danny," she hissed. "You think you can weasel information out of me? Find out his strengths? His weaknesses? You can forget it. If you really want to know, Ask. Him. Yourself."

The girl remained standing for a few moments before she thrust her glasses back on. She sank back into her chair and took a few calming breaths.

Lancer swallowed. She couldn't have made it any clearer that the 'Danny Phantom' subject was completely off limits, which only served to make Lancer all the more curious.

He reluctantly buried away the inquisitiveness. He didn't want to push Danielle, though she made it aggressively clear that, even if he did press for more answers, her lips were sealed.

He needed to let her know he respected her privacy.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

Danielle peered over her sunglasses at him. It seemed as if she were gauging whether or not he was being honest.

"It's okay," she sighed, sheepish. "Sorry, if I scared you."

"No, you didn't." Lancer smiled.

"It's just-" Danielle picked up her fork and played with the food on her plate. "I've betrayed my cousin twice already. Once because I was made to believe I had no other option, and the second time because I was gullible enough to believe his enemy. Both those times I was being manipulated, so I kind of freaked out when you mentioned Danny who, by the way, is the last person on earth who deserves that."

"I understand, believe me." Lancer sighed, suddenly reminiscent.

A sudden melancholy surged into his heart. Unwanted memories resurfaced. "I've had a few problems with betrayal, as well."

"Did you betray someone you cared about?" Danielle queried.

"Yes."

Danielle remained quiet for a while. When she finally spoke, her response surprised him. "If someone really, truly cares about you, they'll forgive you eventually."

She scooped up another forkful of noodles and shoveled it into her mouth.

A small smile lit up her face.

And then the ground shook.

**A/N: Chapter finally completed.**

**Yay!**

**Anywho, let me know what you thought of this chapter.**

**As I've said, feedback and reviews are always appreciated. ;) **


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